Rolls Royce 1996 model can’t ply in Delhi, says NGT

NEW DELHI: A Rolls Royce car owner was denied permission from NGT to renew his vehicle registration for the petrol-driven model which was bought by him in 1996.

A bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim said that the order passed by NGT, banning plying of petrol vehicles which are over 15-years-old, has attained finality as the appeal against it was rejected by the Supreme Court.

“Besides the above, ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises has filed an application seeking modification of our orders dated April 7, 2015 and July 20, 2016 which has been heard and reserved for judgment by a bench headed by the NGT chairperson,” the bench said.

Last year, the tribunal had given a special permission to vintage car owners to take part in a vintage car rally in the capital after the applicant in his plea had said that it would help boost tourism. However, NGT had only given permission citing it as an ‘exception’.

NGT granted liberty to the Rolls Royce owner to seek appropriate relief subject to the verdict on the plea which had been filed by the ministry of heavy industries.

The car owner, Ashok Kumar Jain, in his plea said he had purchased the Rolls Royce petrol model in 1995 which was imported in 1996 after a payment of 112,350 pounds (nearly 1 crore on that date) along with customs duty. The applicant in his plea stated that he required renewing the registration so the car could be sent to the manufacturer in UK and be made Euro IV norms compliant.

The applicant said that due to the tribunal’s order, the car registration could not be renewed, even though it had the requisite pollution certificates.